Tantancore Sets New Standard for Apartment Parking Control

From an image processing technology company to a parking control platform, we chose Pivot three years ago.
– Presenting a method for remodeling parking control without discarding existing facilities.
– An unmanned parking control system implemented with vision and LLM-based AI.

Anyone who has ever visited a pre-construction apartment complex has likely experienced the inconvenience of parking. Visiting vehicles must undergo security checks or undergo a security check, and barriers operate differently. These parking inconveniences can even deter residents from living in pre-construction apartments. While the entrance to an apartment complex's parking lot often defines the complex's first impression, many pre-construction apartment complexes' parking control systems remain focused on managing registered vehicles. As a result, systematic responses to visiting vehicles are difficult, leading to repeated inconveniences and confusion during the entry and exit process.

In the case of pre-constructed apartment complexes, remodeling parking control systems is difficult due to the burden of having to remove and replace all existing equipment, as well as the high cost. A company has stepped forward to address these structural limitations: tantancore. Until just three years ago, tantancore was not a specialized parking control service provider. It was a technology company developing and supplying image processing-based AI embedded systems to other companies, focusing its business on transportation and crime prevention. However, changes in the market environment and structural issues in pre-constructed apartment parking environments prompted a bold pivot, leading to the creation of "helloparking."

Pivoting is never an easy choice for a company. We met with Tantancore CEO Lee Sang-mi and Executive Director Kim Seong-bin to hear about their background and growth story in the parking control market.

■ Pivot to helloparking.

Tantancore is a technology-based company founded in 2017. CEO Lee Sang-mi and Managing Director Kim Sung-bin have extensive experience in video surveillance and traffic control solutions since founding the company. Building on this technical background, they have continued to focus on transportation and crime prevention since founding the company. Managing Director Kim Sung-bin explained, "Tantancore has been providing solutions for the transportation and security sectors based on our proprietary license plate recognition software and AI embedded systems. We have advanced technological capabilities that enable flexible integration of various equipment and systems."

This company's direction shifted around three years ago. At the time, the parking system market was undergoing a period of significant entrants by large corporations, but the on-site inconveniences remained. Parking barriers in apartment complexes still had to be manually opened by management personnel upon entry, or operated with a physical key. This resulted in frequent unnecessary waiting and confusion for both visiting vehicles and residents entering and exiting the parking lot.

Tantancore took notice of these structural inconveniences. Managing Director Kim Seong-bin explained, "While parking barriers were installed, they were practically impossible to operate without human intervention. Our starting point was figuring out how to automate this process." This awareness of the problem soon led to a shift in the company's direction, and three years ago, we launched the "helloparking" brand, which incorporated existing image processing and AI embedded technologies into the parking control field.

■ Technological advancements to reduce the number of parking operation sections that require direct human intervention.

Apartment complexes with HelloParking installed will have a dedicated phone number. When a visitor calls this number, the ARS will automatically guide them to their building and unit number and prompt them to enter their information. Once registration is complete, their vehicle can enter the parking lot. This information is then relayed to the residents, who can then choose to approve or reject the visitor. Vehicles that are rejected or have issues will automatically be placed on a management list and restricted from future entry.

Executive Director Kim Seong-bin explained, “Previously, the role of security guards was to directly check and process, but now the ARS and system perform this role instead.” He added, “We designed the entire process from entry to approval and post-management to be performed as a single cycle, enabling stable operation without the intervention of security personnel.”

Tantancore's technological starting point lies in image processing. The company has accumulated years of experience in video analysis in the transportation and crime prevention sectors, and as it expanded into the parking market, it naturally incorporated vision-based technologies like license plate recognition. Building on this foundation, the company has continuously advanced its parking control technology, minimizing the need for manual intervention.

The company currently employs over 20 people, seven of whom are developers. Managing Director Kim Seong-bin stated, "As a company built primarily on image processing developers, we have a solid technological foundation. We also have the ability to respond relatively quickly to new technological trends, such as AI." Recently, the company has been integrating LLM-based AI ARS into its technology to further reduce the number of parking operations requiring direct human intervention. Based on this technological direction, helloparking continues to evolve its parking control system, focusing on unmanned operation as its core. tantancore defines the development stages of parking control technology as five generations and is currently pursuing system advancement with the goal of entering the 2.5 generation within this year.

■ Focus on the remodeling market for parking control systems in existing apartments rather than new apartments.

HelloParking focuses on the parking control system remodeling market for existing apartments, rather than newly built ones. While existing apartments often already have parking systems installed, the challenge is that even if you want to replace them, the cost is significant. Tantancore, in response, not only integrates with heterogeneous equipment connected to parking systems but also manufactures core internal components, enabling a relatively reasonable system conversion without having to dismantle existing facilities.

Executive Director Kim Seong-bin explained, “In the construction and remodeling market, the key is to lower the burden of introduction,” and “Since we manufacture core equipment and parts ourselves, we can significantly reduce implementation costs even if there is existing equipment, and even equipment that has been installed not long ago can introduce the helloparking system in a win-win manner.”

This direction is being verified through real-world cases. Some apartment complexes that introduced helloparking reported a noticeable decrease in illegally parked vehicles, and parking spaces were freed up within a month of implementation. According to the company, as of January 2026, approximately 155 apartment complexes had adopted the helloparking parking control system, and satisfaction was high due to the cost savings of approximately 70% compared to existing systems and the ability to complete installation within one day. The market size is also large. There are an estimated 40,000 apartment complexes in Korea, and of these, approximately 20,000 complexes require advanced parking control systems. The need for implementation is particularly high in metropolitan areas such as Seoul and the metropolitan area, where parking demand and complaints are concentrated.

Inquiries about HelloParking are primarily directed at apartment resident representatives and management managers. Installations are also being implemented in many other areas beyond existing apartment complexes. Inquiries are also coming from various locations requiring improved parking barriers, including public parking lots, elementary schools, prosecutors' offices, and coffee shops.

■ Annual sales growth of 30-40%

In this competitive environment, helloparking continues to achieve remarkable growth. tantancore cited consistent sales growth as a key achievement since pivoting to the parking control business. Previously, sales were relatively stable due to a business structure focused on B2B solution sales, but growth was limited. Since launching the parking control business in earnest, the company has expanded its organization, focusing on support, field, and sales personnel. Currently, sales are growing at a rate of 30-40% annually.

The most specific performance indicator is the number of apartment complexes built. According to the company, helloparking has installed parking control systems in approximately 150 apartment complexes over the past three years and aims to install an additional 100 complexes this year. The market size is also significant. The number of apartment complexes in Korea is estimated at approximately 40,000, and the company estimates that approximately 20,000 of these require advanced parking control systems. In particular, metropolitan areas such as Seoul and the Seoul Capital Area are highly concentrated with parking demand and complaints, leading the company to conclude that the system is "essential for nearly 100% of apartment complexes." Managing Director Kim Seong-bin stated, "Many apartment complexes have postponed system investment due to cost and uncertainty, but we have reached a point where we can no longer afford to neglect it. Coupled with the trend of infrastructure upgrades within complexes, demand for parking control will continue to grow."

■ Beyond parking, to integrated apartment control

Helloparking's core vision is to continue expanding its presence in the remodeling market for apartment parking control systems. According to the company, its top priority this year is to continuously increase the number of apartment complexes where parking control systems are being installed. Helloparking has maintained rapid growth, and since early last year, it has entered a phase of significant staffing growth in line with its business expansion.

The company's next step is to integrate apartment complex management beyond parking. Apartment complexes feature a variety of information and communication systems, including parking, security, home networks, complex ERP, and fire and safety systems. Tantancore is developing a strategy to integrate these areas into a single platform, under the common goal of "automation and unmanned operation."

Executive Director Kim Seong-bin stated, "Pivoting into parking control was not an easy decision, but ultimately, we believe it was the right direction." He added, "Rather than resting on our laurels, we are preparing for the next step by opening up various possibilities." He added, "Now that our marketability and growth potential have been proven to some extent, we are also considering attracting external investment as part of our strategy to expand our market share in 2026."

Pivoting is never an easy choice. However, companies that remain stagnant in change struggle to survive. Tantancore's helloparking, which has achieved high growth through a successful business transformation, is drawing attention as to whether it can establish itself as a platform that sets a new standard in the parking control system market.